Covid-19 or Coronavirus Row vaccine is sprayed on a white background
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Days after the first bags of the federal-approved Covid-19 vaccine began to be sent to hospitals and medical centers across the country, snafu made national headlines.
Some regulators complained that not all of the vaccines ordered from drug manufacturer Pfizer were sent. One regulator said Pfizer was having manufacturing problems.
But as reported by NBC News, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said there was no reduction in the number of doses being carried. “There are reports that jurisdictional allowances are being reduced,” an HHS spokesman said. “As with the first Pfizer vaccine, jurisdictions will be vaccinated at various sites over a number of days. ”
Pfizer also responded, saying via Twitter “Pfizer has no production problems with our COVID-19 vaccine, and there is no shipping in which the vaccine is held or delayed.” In a statement, the company said: “We have millions more doses sitting in our warehouse but, to date, we have not received a load instruction for additional doses.”
Reason unclear
Although it was not clear what caused the misunderstanding, it is important that the problem is resolved immediately to ensure that there are no communication problems or the like as the vaccination campaign continues. across the country. Many people have difficulty getting the bullet in the first place – and even the pandemic is real. Chiefs’ confusion over the status of vaccine loads will not give them any confidence that those in charge know what they are doing and could promote conspiracy theories about the vaccine, foreign faces and the pandemic.
Communication is essential in any emergency – especially in a national public health emergency such as a coronavirus pandemic. Any mistake in dealing with an emergency, scandal, or disaster emergency can raise legitimate concerns about how well or poorly those in charge are doing their job – or if they know what which they do.
Introductory lessons
In an earlier post, I noted “By paying close attention to how the vaccination campaign expands in their area – and how any problems or issues will be addressed – business leaders can learn lessons. important to learn when involved in emergency situations at their companies or organizations. ”
There are already three emergency communication lessons from this week ‘s release of the vaccine.
Don’t rush to publish
If this is not necessary, avoid going public with any issues or concerns you may have in dealing with your emergency. While the problems may be making headlines get attention, the news broadcast may do nothing to stop the crisis – and it could make matters worse.
Tell your side of the story
As did Pfizer and HHS together, tell your side of the story immediately. The longer you wait, the more likely it is that any erroneous statements, accusations or accusations will be accepted as factual and become conventional wisdom.
When you see something, do something
Misinformation and disinformation, which were increasingly problematic before the pandemic, have added new challenges to dealing with a coronavirus crisis. Twitter starting next week said it would dismiss false reports about the Covid-19 vaccine. In response to false claims about the Pfizer vaccine before it received federal approval, Facebook announced it would remove incorrect information about the virus and the vaccine.
Prospects for future problems?
Much has gone wrong in the development and delivery of the first Covid-19 vaccine. This includes the speed with which the approved vaccine was developed, the logistics to ensure that vaccines are delivered to the right places in a timely and safe manner, and the transparency of the vaccine. people set a good example by saying that they would not hesitate to get their pictures and continue with that promise.
No one said the vaccination campaign would be without problems. This week’s communication errors could be a small bump in the road – or a foretaste of worse things to come. However, as in all emergencies, it is best to anticipate the unexpected – and plan accordingly.